人间

• Pinyin: rén jiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 人 = pictograph of person; 间 = 门 + 日, between/space

Meaning

The human world; earth; mortal realm. The world where humans live, often contrasted with heaven or the afterlife.

Literary/poetic: 人间仙境 (paradise on earth), 人间烟火 (worldly life/food), 不食人间烟火 (otherworldly). Often in expressions about life, suffering, or beauty.

Examples

1. 这里风景如画，简直是人间仙境。 The scenery here is picturesque, truly a paradise on earth.
2. 她经历了人间最大的痛苦。 She experienced the greatest suffering in the world.
3. 人间自有真情在。 True love exists in this world.

Usage Guide

Context: poetry, philosophy, emotion

Tone: poetic

Do Say

• 人间值得。(Life is worth living.)
• 人间四月天。(April in the human world — describing beautiful spring.)

Don't Say

• 我住在人间。(Too literary for stating where you live — just say 我住在...)

Origin & History

人 (rén, person) + 间 (jiān, between/among). Among humans; the human realm.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal